The plan had been for Mark to go back to the midwest to become a housecat. But in the two weeks that the visitors were here, he never got over “the splats.” This made a 1300 mile auto trip seem ill-advised. So, a kitten went back, and Mark returned to the outdoors.
Fingers got moved into the basement to serve as a back cat for the midwest trip. But for various reasons, not least of which being Fingers ability to escape (which again made an auto trip ill advised), she didn’t get selected to go. Still, she’s a hell of a good cat.
While the visitors were here, there was a scare when she’d disappeared. I’d previously mentioned her disappearance and injured reappearance (http://up-ship.com/blog/?p=6122 and the comments there). One thing not mentioned previously was that while she was originally vanished, her *corpse,* car-encountered, seemed to appear at the roadside. It was only while digging the hole in the back yard (ye gods I hate having to do that) that I noticed that her distinctive neck wound (from here: http://up-ship.com/blog/?p=4191) was absent. A day or two later she re-appeared, with the wounded leg.
So after all that, I decided that I really didn’t want to boot her out the door only to have her get wounded some more and eventually squished by a car. So… she is now cat number three in Lowther’s House Of Aerospace, Cats, And No Chance Of Scoring Ever.
She’s clearly not overly fond of being a housecat. She spends a great deal of her time trying to get *out.* Since the temperatures are a bit cool, that’s fine… but before long it’ll hot up and the windows’ll ahve to open… which means I’ll need to armor plate the window screens. A project already underway. I’m trying to not make the place *too* redneck/white trash. Distressingly, chickenwire screens would be just the thing but… damn. Even *I* can see that that would be a bit tacky.
So, now there are three cats. However, this again might prove to be a temporary setup. I am awaiting word on the results of some tests by doctors which may affect the future of the residents of this house. Notice I said “doctors,” not “veterenarians.”
7 Responses to “New Room Mate”
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It seems obvious, but have you thought of putting fingers on a long leash, so she could stay outdoors, yet run around some? You could even plant some stakes in the ground so that she could be moored at various points on different days and not get bored by her surroundings.
That bottom shot of her is really cute.
“I am awaiting word on the results of some tests by doctors which may affect the future of the residents of this house. Notice I said “doctors,” not “veterenarians.” ”
Yeah, I think I warned you about this before:
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2006-08/uoc–cpm080206.php
I like this from that article:
“This is not to say that the cultural dimensions associated with T. gondii are necessarily undesirable,” noted Lafferty. “After all, they add to our cultural diversity.”
Sure…Khan stuck that thing in Chekov’s ear so he could get some “cultural diversity” going. 😉
The bottom photo could almost be captioned, “Here’s Johnny!” Granted it is just the cat sitting so that she is a little squished, but she looks pretty intense there.
Jim
You’re not having medical problems, are you?
Were that only so.
It’s the cat brain parasites!
I knew it!
He’s being “hagridden” by The Pussy Masters! Next will come the overwhelming urge to go to a zoo and climb into the lion enclosure like a human rat, waiting to be eaten…
For the windows, use 1/4 inch wire mesh, looks better than chicken wire, you can get it with green or white plastic coating. Or use heavy metal screen instead of the light nylon screen that most windows come with. Setting screen is a pain, a job I try to avoid, but being a trained glazier I get stuck doing it anyway.
And hope you are going to be alright, I know how the whole medical problem thang is, being on that road my own self.
Of course if the cat is supposed to be kept indoors, you could always get it de-clawed.
If it needs to protect itself, it could be taught to use a pistol:
http://blogs.catster.com/the-cats-meow-a-cat-and-kitten-blog/files/2008/12/catwithgun.jpg
But remember…when guns for cats are outlawed, only outlaws will have cats with guns.